09/09/2024
Asthma and allergic diseases constitute the most common chronic inflammatory disorders, particularly in children, with constantly increasing prevalence in Westernised countries. They are complex conditions with local tissue inflammation that are triggered by the interaction between genetic and environmental factors. The steep rise in the prevalence of asthma and allergies since the 1960s, in addition to the genetic predisposition, may be linked to contaminants produced as a result of urbanisation and industrialisation, which generate air pollutants that the population is exposed to. The human microbiome may also play a role in the increased risk of asthma or allergies.
Allergy is a heterogeneous disease that may be manifested over a wide spectrum of disorders, including asthma, AD, atopic rhinitis, FA, and EoE. These aberrant immune responses may be initiated by a broad array of factors acting alone or in concert, such as exposure to air pollution, inflammation, infection, alterations in the specific microbiome, and inherent genetic predisposition. A better understanding of both the distinct and shared web of factors underlying the spectrum of allergic disorders may lead to the development of individualized, disease-modifying interventions.
(( AD, atopic dermatitis; EoE, eosinophilic esophagitis; FA, food allergy))
